Referring to Rajiv Kumar’s comments on the economy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter saying, “Govt’s own economic advisors have finally acknowledged what we cautioned for long — India’s economy is in a deep mess."

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari later also held a press conference where he said Kumar deserves to be congratulated for his “confession”. (Source: File)

The Congress on Friday hit out at the Centre over its handling of the economy and argued that successive finance ministers of the NDA regime have no understanding of economic issues.

Advertising

“The grim economic scenario has finally jolted the government out of its slumber. A bleated effort to repair self-inflicted damage by rolling back the ill-advised budgetary announcements may not be adequate for an economy in ICU,” senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

Arguing that drastic measures are required to nurse back the economy into health, he said “measures need to be taken to increase incomes and wages, giving people greater purchasing power to generate and consumption”.

Referring to Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar’s comments on the economy, which he made while speaking at an event, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter saying, “Govt’s own economic advisors have finally acknowledged what we cautioned for long — India’s economy is in a deep mess. Now, accept our solution and remonetise the economy, by putting money back in the hands of the needy & not the greedy.”

Advertising

Party spokesperson Manish Tewari later also held a press conference where he said Kumar deserves to be congratulated for his “confession”.

“The Vice Chairperson of the Niti Aayog says that the current stress in the financial sector is unprecedented in the last 70 years… This confession requires a slight amendment. It is not just the financial sector, it is the Indian economy…,” Tewari said.

Citing scenarios in various industries, Tewari added that the Centre was clueless on how to handle the “crisis”.

“All you see now is deflection, obfuscation, the politics of vendetta, unprecedented undeclared emergency across the country. And the primary purpose of this is that the Government does not have a clue as to how they are going to handle this crisis, which is intensifying on a daily basis,” he said.

Later in the day, shortly after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed a press conference where she announced several measures for the economy, Tewari tweeted, “A structural problem bedevils the fundamentals of Indian economy because of lag effect of Demonitisation/GST coupled with spectre of terror unleashed on even honest businesspersons juxtaposed with lack of understanding of economic issues by successive Finance Ministers of NDA/BJP.”